


Back To Life

by navochao



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula is forced to do community service, She's not super happy about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24386707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navochao/pseuds/navochao
Summary: For Azula, she was perfect. The perfect firebender, the perfect daughter, the perfect ruler.So spending her glorified exile as a tea server was less than perfect.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	Back To Life

Azula was sweeping up the front of her uncle’s tea shop, avoiding eye contact with everyone who walked past, trying not to make more than small talk with anyone who tried, or dared, to speak to her.

She felt like a prisoner in the city she once captured, but that wasn't what she was technically. Everyone knew that her brother had chosen his wording carefully, because for all intents and purposes, she was banished. Zuko was sure to assure her she wasn't a prisoner, but a guest. 

A guest forced to work at a stupid tea shop, anyway.

She soon got tired of sweeping the same spot over and over and over again and went back inside the shop, quite literally steaming before handing the broom off to someone and storming off into the back.

“Ah, Azula, there you are! I was starting to get worried you wandered off and got lost,” Her uncle, Iroh, was pouring some tea. Azula couldn't tell if it was for a guest or for him. “How are you liking Ba Sing Se?”

Azula ignored him, opting to walk past him and lean up against the back wall, staring at anything that wasn't her uncle.

“I see.” Iroh set down the tea pot, picking up a cup and turning to face her. “You’re homesick.”

She scoffed at the idea, that she'd miss what her once lovely home had turned into. “The Fire Nation used to be powerful."

“What's with all this ‘used to be’ talk? I think it’s still pretty powerful.”

“A nation is no more powerful than its leader, Uncle.” Azula mumbled, sliding down the wall and sitting on the ground. “Who does he think he is, sending me here? To work! In a tea shop!”

“I think he’s the Fire Lord, Azula.”

“Whatever.” Azula briefly looked at her uncle, who was holding a cup of tea out to her. She contemplated taking it for a moment, before turning away again. “This is humiliating.”

“I wouldn’t call spending time with your family humiliating, Azula.” Iroh frowned and placed the cup on the table. “Enjoy your time in Ba Sing Se, it’s a beautiful city.”

“It’s a city we should be ruling uncle, not sitting here serving it’s citizens tea. We’re royalty, we’re fire benders! Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” 

“Ba Sing Se belongs to the Earth Kingdom,” Iroh said flatly. “I’m sure if you took some time to explore the city and see what makes it so wonderful, you might understand.”

“I have zero interest in ‘exploring’ Ba Sing Se. I want out of this dreadful city, not stuck in it.” Azula stood up. “You might like finally being in Ba Sing Se after your failure, but I was able to take it over myself. They should be welcoming me as their leader, not some tea saleswoman.” 

Azula sulked out of the back room and back out through the tea shop, taking off her apron and throwing it to the ground before heading down the road.

She stared at her feet the entire time, not sure where she was going, all she knew is she wanted out of that horrid tea shop, and away from her failure uncle.

“I’m not wrong. Ba Sing Se should belong to me.” She mumbled under her breath before looking up, staring at the city surrounding her. She found it oddly comforting, and inviting, for such a cold city. “I suppose it’s not… too bad. For an Earth Kingdom city.”

“Who are you talkin’ to?” Azula jumped out of her skin, turning around to face a girl just about her age, maybe a little older. “Oh, did I scare you? Sorry… I’m Jin!” The mysterious girl, Jin, waved. “You work at the Jasmine Dragon, right?”

“...sort of.” Azula scowled. “Why are you following me?”

“I wasn’t following you! I just saw you and went, ‘hey! I think she works at the Jasmine Dragon!’ and then when you turned around, I learned that I was right.” Jin smiled, offering a hand to shake. “I never caught your name.”

_ ‘She should already know my name, they should all know my name!’  _ Azula frowned at the thought, ignoring the offer of her hand. “Azula. The owner is my uncle, unfortunately.”

“Oh, so you must know Lee!”

Azula raised an eyebrow “Who?” 

“Lee, he’s the nephew of the owner… or, well, back when he worked there that’s what he said. We haven’t seen him around in a while.”

“My uncle only has one niece and one nephew and my brother certainly isn’t named  _ Lee.” _ Azula crossed her arms. “You’ve been fooled by somebody.”

“Well, lots of refugees use false names around here, so maybe it was your brother and he changed his name! Black hair, burn scar over his left eye?” Jin covered her left eye with her hand, before separating her fingers so she could look through to Azula. “ Poor thing must have had a terrible run in with the Fire Nation.”

Azula’s eyes widened, her blood nearly boiling. Other than that, her expression barely changed from her previous look of disdain. “He told you his name was Lee, huh?”

“Oh! So it is your brother! Is he okay?”

Azula realized she now had two options here. She could either tell the truth, or she could lie. The natural two ways to hold a conversation. She opened her mouth to tell her some fun, twisted lie, before she saw the way Jin lit up when she realized that Azula knew ‘Lee’, obviously she was very worried about him. The thought of crushing her spirits, and even potentially her heart, was very exhilarating. She was very excited to see it.

But in the back of her mind, something nagged at her. 

_ ‘Azula always lies, Azula always lies.’  _

Azula turned her back to Jin, turning her gaze back to the ground. In her most insincere voice possible, she told her the truth. “He’s doing alright. He’s back home right now.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! I’m so glad to hear that he’s okay.” Azula could  _ hear _ Jin’s smile. She wasn’t sure how to feel. “Thank you, Azula!”

“Yeah. Yeah no problem.”

Azula climbed up the side of her apartment, barely sweating from the jog she took to get back before Iroh had noticed she was gone and had, spirits forbid, actually taken his advice. She slid into her room through the window and sighed before turning back to look out the window, arms crossed, and leaning up against the window frame. 

“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?” 

Azula frowned. “Not as beautiful as my view is back home.”

“So you are homesick.” 

“I never said I wasn’t.” Azula blew hot air at her bangs, the air in Ba Sing Se was far too cool for her liking. Nothing beats the heat of the Fire Nation summers, and she was missing it to play tea party with her good for nothing uncle. “But hey, I learned something today. Our lovely Fire Lord Zuzu was pretty popular around here, wasn’t he?”

“The patrons of the Jasmine Dragon could recognize him in an instant.” Iroh took a couple steps forward into the room. “Why do you ask?”

Azula shrugged. “No reason.”

“I see.” Iroh waited around, waiting for Azula to say anything else, but she never did. He sighed, turning around to head out of the room. “Alright then, I’ll see you in the morning, Azula.” 

Azula growled, steam nearly rising from her chest. “You don’t know what’s best for me! And neither does Zuko!” 

She felt anger boiling up inside her, ready to come out at any moment, burning hot flames ready to burn down every tree in this lousy city.

But she took a deep breath.

If she wanted to go home, she had to be patient.


End file.
